Fine Print
by Vulpes-Macrotis
Summary: Rose wasn't looking for help, but rather it was looking for her. When a mysterious woman arrives and presents a contract, promising to relieve her of all of her problems, she does not hesitate to sign her name. "I am so sorry Miss Lalonde, you should have read the fine print." /Demonstuck trolls /Rosemary /Slight JohnVris
1. Prologue

"_That's the second one this month."_

"_Where are they?"_

"_Another one?"_

"_The police aren't even looking!"_

The strange disappearances had been going on for three months. Students and young adults, men and women, vanishing without a trace. Usually people with problems. By problems I mean deceased or injured family members, financial issues, etcetera. From what the authorities had gathered, these were the only similarities between the victims. Needless to say they were stumped. The only other lead they had were similar cases in San Diego and Ontario, along with several small towns in Europe and Asia. But lately the rate of disappearances had increased. Students and young adults from troubled families. The case perplexed me, and with help from my mother's friend Jane I jumped on the opportunity to do a little research.

—

Jane sat down across from me, her plate clinking softly on the table as she settled in. "Well what are you thinking Rose?" She asked after taking a long sip from her drink. We were sitting in a coffee shop across the street from the last spot the most current victim had been seen, a dirty old laundromat.

"There is absolutely nothing. It is just a laundromat." My brow furrowed in frustration.

"Yep, pretty much. That's what 'gone without a trace' means. No trace." Jane smiled and took another sip, reaching across the table to steal one of the cookies from my plate. She took a bite. "These aren't as good as mine."

"That's true," I smiled back. "Your cookies are the best."

"Thanks! These are a close second," she waved the half eaten cookie in the air with a soft laugh. For a few moments we just sat quietly, Jane nursing her drink while I stared out the window at the grungy old building across the street. It was frustrating. I wanted to know, but it seemed impossible. What had happened… exactly?

"Have you talked to Jade or Dave since school has been out?" Jane asked quietly.

"No. I've been… to embarrassed. You don't need me to tell you this, but Mom has been drinking a lot more and I don't want them to see her like that." I dragged my finger over the rim of my coffee mug, avoiding Jane's eyes.

"It's really a shame about your Mom, and we've all tried talking to her. But I'm sure it will be okay. Besides, you could always meet up with your friends somewhere else if you're worried about it. You could go bowling or something! That sounds so fun!" She smiled and clasped her hands together.

"You could go with us sometime," I laughed. "If you don't mind hanging out with a group of kids that is."

"Oh come on you're making me sound old." Jane finished off the cookie that she had stolen, wiping crumbs from her mouth with her napkin. Her phone vibrated on the table and she took a moment to check it. "Darn, I gotta go. Sorry Rose." She cleared up her half of the table, pushing her plate to the side.

"I'm going to stay for a bit," I said quietly.

"Alright. Well, be safe." She pulled her purse over her shoulder and left.

For a moment I felt a little lonely, just staring out at the street. As cliche as it was, it began to rain. This only added to my mood. I pressed my forehead gently against the glass, feeling the chill against my face.


	2. Chapter 1

The bus ride home had been quite uncomfortable. Uneasiness had pooled in my stomach, making me cringe at ever bump we hit. Something felt out of place, but I could not put my finger on it. It bugged me. But I decided to forget about it as I climbed the stairs to our hellhole of an apartment. We used to have a huge house, actually. So large that it felt empty with just my mother and I living there. Still, it was better than the smelly old apartment that we moved to after she started drinking more. The only good thing about the move was that we were closer to the school.

"Mom, I'm home." I called as I pushed the door open. Upon hearing a soft crash and a soft line of slurred swears, I dropped my bag and went to check on her.

"Ohey Rosie," she burped softly and laughed, shifting a bit. I noticed then that she was sitting in a small puddle, throwing the occasional glance at a smashed bottle lying next to her. It seemed that Its contents had already seeped deep into the carpet, leaving the whole room stinking of alcohol.

"Mom!" I rushed over to her, grabbing her arm and helping her to her feet.

"Nah nah 'm okay." She tried to stabilize herself, but when she stumbled I took her arm again. Together we moved to the bathroom where I made her comfortable by the toilet in case she decided to puke. And she did. I rubbed small circles on her back for comfort as she emptied her stomach. Then I took a small wad of toilet paper and cleaned up around her mouth.

"Come on, into the tub." I turned on the water and helped her out of her soiled clothes. After helping her ease into the bathtub, I dried my hands. "Alright. Stay here, I'm going to clean up in the living room."

"Mkay," she splashed around in the water as I left. I didn't let the tears flow until the door was closed, but when I started I couldn't stop. I was so sick and tired of it all, and I just needed to cry. So I did. I knew mom heard me, but her memory of it would probably be foggy by the time she was sober.

I cried for a good long while before finally wiping my tears away and fetching a towel. Carefully, I plucked shards of glass from the carpet and mopped up the mess. It had already seeped into the floor and it was probably beyond help, but I did my best. When it was all done, I leaned against the chair and buried my face in my hands. I found myself laughing after long. I felt silly for getting so upset.

"Ey Rosie 'm off ta bed," when I looked up my mom was standing in the hallway with nothing but a towel. She looked a bit better than before, but her hair was a mess and she had huge bags under her eyes. She didn't look like herself.

"Okay mom. Have sweet dreams." She simply nodded before stumbling back down the hallway and into her room.

At that moment the damp and the rain was preferable to the suffocating walls inside the apartment. I got up and opened the sliding glass door to the balcony. The rain had let up, and was only a slight drizzle. Still, I could feel the water soaking through my shirt as I gazed out at the street. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Excuse me."

My eyes flicked open at the sound of a startlingly close voice. Sitting at the edge of the wooden railing was a tall, elegant woman with a flowing red skirt. _Oh, I __**must **__be dreaming,_ I thought.

"Your name is Rose Lalonde, correct?" The woman tilted her head, revealing a set of sharp fangs as she spoke.

"Yes. And who might you be?" I crossed my arms and corrected my posture.

"Kanaya Maryam." Oh dear lord, I was positive that I would butcher that name if I attempted to pronounce it. So I did not even try.

A few moments passed in silence. It was as if the stranger expected me to speak, or question her in some way. However when she realized that I did not intend to do so, she spoke up.

"It has come to my attention that you are unhappy." She spoke in a soft, comforting away. I felt as if I could trust her.

"Yes, and?"

The stranger stepped down from the railing and stood before me. She was much taller than I. Noticeably so, but not at all in an intimidating way. Actually I found her quite attractive with her jet black hair and bright green eyes. Although her pale gray skin was slightly disconcerting.

"I can fix that." She took her thumb and wiped a drop of rain from my cheek, as if it were a tear. "It is my job, actually. I can fix whatever you want me to fix, dear Rose. All you must do is sign your name." The stranger lifted her hand and snapped, a crisp piece of paper appearing between her fingers and a ballpoint pen in the other. I laughed a little at that, and she did too. "Sorry, no feather quill or old parchment. If that was what you were expecting." She rested the contract in my lap, placing the pen in my hand as she did so. I took a moment to skim over the details of the contract. It seemed fair enough. With a shaky hand, I copied my signature onto the line. The stranger took the contract from my hands, her beautiful smile fading. "I am so sorry Miss Lalonde, you should have read the fine print." She stood back up, taking my hand and pressing her thumb forcefully to the underside of my wrist. I gasped in pain and wrenched my hand from her grasp. To my absolute horror, I watched as a sun-shaped symbol etched itself into my skin.

"Why…?" I held my wrist to my chest, as if bringing it closer to me would somehow stop the awful sting.

"I will return for you soon." And then she was gone.


	3. Chapter 2

_A/N: Alright, well, I clumped three different events into one chapter because I'm lazy and since this hasn't been getting reviews, not very motivated. So I'm speeding things up a bit and yeh..._

* * *

After the incident on the balcony, I had tried several things to get the mark off of my wrist. Soapy water, germ-x, even bleach. I had scratched and rubbed, but it did not fade even in the slightest. I had panicked. Whoever this woman was, she said she would be _returning_. The thought kept me up late that night until I couldn't stand to keep my eyes open anymore and I fell asleep where I sat in the kitchen.

When I awoke that morning, I was laying in bed. _How strange_, I thought. Had it all been a dream? One glance at my wrist answered that. I stared up at the ceiling for several minutes as nausea began to set in. The mark was still there, as dark as ever. It still burned and my skin had bruised from her touch.

I forced myself out of bed. If it hadn't been a dream, then who had moved me to my room? I wandered down the hallway, led by the smell of bacon cooking. Had mom invited someone over…? No, in fact, she was the one cooking. The entire kitchen was spotless, as was the table and the living room. The wretched smell of alcohol had been removed with a generous amount of Febreeze, and the row of glass bottles that used to sit upon the coffee table were now piled in the trash, their contents having been poured down the drain.

"Good morning Rosie!" My mother smiled and turned the bacon. Her hair was neatly styled, and the enormous bags under her eyes from the previous night seemed to have completely disappeared. That had to be the strangest hangover I had ever witnessed.

"Uh… morning… mom. What are you doing?" I stood in the hallway as I watched her pluck her breakfast from the pan and place each strip in neat rows on her plate.

"What does it look like?" She handed the plate to me. I looked down at it in confusion. "I made this for you! You deserve it, after all."

"No way…" I murmured. My mother looked confused by my response, but I did not bother to clarify. Instead I took a piece of bacon and handed her back the plate, heading straight for the balcony. I pushed the sliding glass door open, rushing over to the wooden railing. It was bright outside, and from the street there were the loud sounds of traffic and the playful screams of children playing tag down the road. And yet there was no sign of the stranger from before. I suddenly did want to see her again. I wanted to know _how._

"Are you going to eat these or… are they all for me?" My mom stood in the doorway with the plate, wearing a soft smile.

"Don't even try it." I snatched up a few more pieces and returned to my room as I wolfed a few down. I flopped down on my bed and took out my phone. Now was as good a time as any to set up a time to meet my friends. I dialed Dave's number.

"Yo."

"Hello Strider." I took another bite of bacon.

"What the hell don't eat in my ear good lord," came Dave's voice.

"Sorry." I ate it anyway.

"Anyway what do you want. You've been avoiding us all summer, you'd better have a good excuse."

"I dropped my laptop off the balcony, Strider. I am sorry if I have inconvenienced you in some way," I rolled my eyes.

"Oh. Sorry man."

,.

"It's fine, I am saving up for another one. Anyway, I called to ask if you were free any time soon."

"Are you asking me to a date Lalonde."

"Dave."

"Sorry, I don't get to use that line as often as I'd like to."

"Just answer my question."

"Uh if I can sneak out without running into Bro we could probably meet up somewhere. Are John and Jade coming?"

"I have yet to invite them, although I plan on it."

"Cool."

"So, you'll try to make it?"

"Yeah, where you wanna meet?"

"We could go for ice cream tomorrow?"

"Uuuh sure. Sounds good to me."

"So it's set! Thank you."

"Welcome. I guess?"

There was a loud knock on my door, and I lifted my eyes. "Hang on, Dave. Come in." Jane peeked her head in the door.

"We gotta talk, like, now. Updates on the case you're oh so interested in," she moved to sit at the foot of my bed.

"Alright, I have to go Strider. I will see you tomorrow. Oh, and contact Jade if you could." I ended the call and turned my attention to my adult friend. "What happened?! Tell me!"

"They found a body…" she suddenly seemed pale.

"A body? Where? How did they link it to the case?" I asked.

"Er… not just _a_ body. All of them. All at once." Her voice was quiet. "By the laundromat, in the park, by the salon. _All of them. _None of them could be identified, but each one was found."

I tapped my chin. "A serial killer…?" My brow furrowed and I started to feel the slightest bit… scared. "Why hasn't this been on the news?"

"They didn't want to show it on the television. They have entire streets blocked off just to prevent people from getting a _glimpse, _and probably so they can do more investigating." Jane forced a smile.

"That bad, huh?" I lowered the volume of my voice. "I want to find out…"

"Er… I wouldn't try anything if I were you…" Jane laughed nervously.

"I won't I won't!" I smiled and laughed too. "I'm just curious."

"Well remember, curiosity killed the cat."

"Yeah yeah." I patted her back.

"So I guess now we just have to wait and see what they get out of this eh?" Jane got comfortable, crossing her legs. "By the way what is up with your mom?" She murmured. "I can only remember her acting like this when she was twenty."

I thought for a moment about whether or not to tell her about the contract, but decided against it. I wouldn't want to make the stranger mad right away. Besides, she said she would be coming soon, whenever that was, and I could ask her about telling then.

"We had a good long talk," I lied.

I think Jane continued talking after that, but I was to busy formulating a certain plan.


	4. Chapter 3

_A/N: Okay this chapter was actually really easy to write, but what really made updating take forever was me wondering if I should even post it as it is. Because this was an idea that both my friend and I had thought was quite interesting, but when I actually got to writing the events of this chapter I wasn't sure if I wanted to post it here. But several of my friends have said it was fine so I'm going to trust in their judgement and post it anyway. But this chapter is just here to explain some things, and I'm hoping that the next one will be better because I'll be able to add more characters and thing. And anyway, please review, tell me what you thought about it, and give constructive criticism. I really need it I think._

* * *

I shone my flashlight over some fresh graffiti, then swept it over the dark asphalt to the second wall of the alleyway. Why did I think this was a good idea? Because it was actually quite stupid and I could be put in jail for it. However the crime scene was getting closer, and it wasn't like I was going to touch it or anything. I just wanted to see.

As I was about to turn the corner, I heard an odd creak accompanied by a wet crack and a sound like lips smacking. I pressed against the alley wall, holding my breath so it would be easier to pick out the sounds coming from further away. Another crack and then silence. Silence for a good long while. I peeked around the corner and pointed the flashlight, hoping to catch whatever had made the noise. At first all the light hit was bright yellow caution tape, which marked where the crime scene began and ended at the other end of the alleyway. Then I noticed an oddly shaped silhouette crouching inside the tape, its head lowered over the _mutilated _corpse. My hand shook, but I couldn't look away. The figure shifted, and the light fell from my hand. Upon hearing the clatter of the plastic on the asphalt, the creature whirled around and got to its feet. It was _hideous_. It's waist was split all the way up with two separate heads, and what might have been another arm trying to grow between the divide of the shoulders resting limply against it's torso. From each mouth dripped thick blood, and I watched in horror as a string of red saliva dribbled down the left head's chin. It started moving. I ran. I didn't look back for even a second. It was dark and I almost tripped twice, but I could hear it chasing after me and it suddenly felt like I was the epitome of speed and grace. I scrambled up onto the top of a dumpster and jumped from there to the rim of the roof. The creature was at the dumpster then. It tried to crawl up after me, but seemed quite top heavy and instead tipped and fell backwards before trying again. At that point I had hauled myself onto the roof where I took a few moments to rest and take in gulps of air.

A small hand touched my shoulder and I whirled around to face the woman from earlier. She sat down next to me with her legs crossed, staring down at the creature without a word. We sat like that for several seconds. I began to relax with her company, and the monster in the street below seemed to have lost interest upon her arrival anyway.

"That is Sollux Captor. A coworker of mine. I guess you could call him a friend. I am terribly sorry you had to meet him this way," the woman said softly. The both of us watched as the monster lumbered back the way it had come, probably to finish off the body.

"Coworker eh? You don't look like you'd be working together." I murmured.

"Well this is not my true form, Miss Lalonde. In reality I look something similar to him." She must have noticed that I flinched at that because she chuckled softy and patted my shoulder. "Do not worry. We have a contract remember? I cannot harm you as long as you do your part. The poor young man by the laundromat… well… let's just say he neglected his duties. Most of them do. And most of them end up like him too." The stranger took my wrist and traced the mark with her thumb.

"What exactly is my part?" I asked softly. "And how am I supposed to know that I'm not dreaming?"

"The contract stated that in return for my little favor, you must act as my servant until the day you are to die. Only then will you be released from your contract." Kanaya paused. "And it is up to you whether or not you choose to view this as a dream, but I suggest you choose wisely." She brushed her thumb across my bruised wrist, causing me to flinch. Upon seeing my reaction, she pressed a light kiss to the darkened skin. I hoped to god I hadn't blushed.

"U-Until I die?" I rasped. "A servant?"

"Yes. You will be expected to do whatever it is that I require. A fair trade wouldn't you say?" Kanaya smiled.

"S-Sure," What had I gotten myself into?

"Do not worry darling, you were lucky that you signed with me. The others are not as… forgiving… as I." She got to her feet and smoothed out her skirt.

"What things will I be expected to do?" I asked

"Small things usually. It all depends on what I need."

"And how will I stay in contact with you? You just disappear…"

"I will be staying with you of course."

"Oh… but my mom—"

"She will never know. You certainly enjoy asking questions Lalonde," she laughed and held out her hand for me. I took it and she helped me up. "Now let's get back. I do not want to be around when Sollux finishes, he will want to have a word with me. Do you have some means of transportation?"

"We could probably catch a bus," I shot a quick glance down the alley where I knew Sollux was still lurking before jumping back down onto the dumpster. "Come on then," I said as I landed back on the asphalt. "I want to get some sleep before meeting with my friends tomorrow. I assume you'll be joining us?" I lifted my head so I could look up at her where she stood on the roof.

"Of course." Kanaya followed, although she was much more careful when coming down which I thought was kind of cute considering she was some sort of demon lady who could turn into a gross monster and signed contracts with people for their souls. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as I initially thought. She seemed nice enough. And I would be staying in my home, with mom.

"Keep up with me if you can!" I called suddenly and took off in the direction of the bus stop. I wasn't expecting her to follow, but when I looked back and saw her chasing after me I let a wide grin spread over my face. She seemed happy too, and I might have even heard her laugh, so I didn't stop. Not until we reached the bus stop but by then we were both huffing and puffing. "I need to get into shape," I said with a soft laugh. Kanaya said nothing but she was smiling so I let it slide. From there, we got on the bus and we were on our way back to the apartment. On the ride, I found myself worrying less about the demon sitting next to me and more about what I was going to wear the next day. How strange.


	5. Chapter 4

"Aye, Lalonde." Dave called from the booth. Jade, John, and another dark haired girl I didn't recognize turned in my direction. I smiled and waved. It was so great to see everyone together, it made my heart swell a little. I almost forgot about… my guest. The tall woman walking just a bit behind me. Disguised, of course. Her pale grey skin and abnormal eyes would draw unnecessary attention.

"Oh Rose we didn't know you were bringing a friend! John brought one too, so there might not be enough room. Hm." Jade looked thoughtfully at their seating arrangement.

"That's no problem." The mystery girl swung into John's lap, much to his surprise. He looked like he was about to melt into the seat. Jade giggled and I could tell that Dave was rolling his eyes under his silly sunglasses. The girl only laughed at John's reaction. I had a feeling that she was the type who'd do anything to embarrass poor Egbert.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and when I turned, it was Kanaya. But she was glaring at the other girl with an odd expression. It didn't seem that she even knew she was touching me to be honest. I patted her hand and sat down. She followed.

"Well you are as flirty as ever, Vriska." The air around the table suddenly started to feel a little… awkward. Kanaya knew this girl.

"You just wish you had my charm, Maryam." She stuck out her tongue.

"Of course, because that's _so_ charming." Kanaya's words dripped with sarcasm, but she smiled, and that helped to lighten the mood a little.

John and I exchanged glances. I had a feeling… that we both knew what was going on and what exactly we had both done. Although I was a bit curious…. what did John sign for? What did he want fixed? I had a feeling that his demon might reveal a tiny bit if I compared her to mine, but that would have to wait. I wanted to catch up with my friends. I'd been cooped up in my room for far to long.

"So Rose, how's your mom doing?" Jade asked.

"Quite well actually!" I said with a genuine smile. But I heard Kanaya shift next to me and I decided to change the subject. "So how about that ice cream?"

"Oh yeah, we waited for you to get here before we ordered anything." John said. "Dave should totally go up and get our ice cream for us."

"Why me?" Dave frowned. "Lazy sons 'a bitches."

"Dave pleeasse!" Jade asked with the oh so infamous puppy dog eyes. You could almost _feel _Dave cringe.

"Fiiiine. What does everyone want?"

—

"It's getting… late…" Jade observed with a frown.

The six of us must have sat there for a long long time. We had all finished our ice cream and inhaled cupcakes— courtesy of Dave via puppy dog eyes— and had just lounged around and chatted. Although Kanaya and Vriska had barely said a word since our arrival. But it was nice, and I felt like it had been one of the better parts of my summer. But alas, all good things must come to an end and we figured we'd hung around to long as it was. We parted ways.

"Come on Kanaya, we've gotta catch the bus." I took her hand and led her out to the parking lot. It startled me a bit when her hand was yanked away from mine. I turned, and saw Vriska dragging Kanaya by the collar of her shirt to the side of the building with John following and looking like a flustered mess. She roughly slammed Kanaya against the wall and for a minute it looked like she was actually going to hurt her.

"Maryam, you'd better have a _great _explanation for what you're doing here." I never thought I had heard someone sound so furious. John and I exchanged terrified looks.

"Let me go Serket." Kanaya answered with fierceness to match that of her coworker.

"Or what?" She sneered. For once, Kanaya seemed at a loss for words.

They just exchanged looks for a moment, and I admit I was far to scared to interject. I was reminded of Sollux. I never wanted to see him again and Kanaya had made it sound like all demons had forms like that. Angering Vriska further, I thought, might be the end of me. Then after a few more seconds of staring, Vriska released Kanaya's shirt.

"If I see you again, I will report you." She hissed. Then she stomped off, dragging John behind her. Kanaya and I exchanged glances. It was kind of funny actually, seeing her so agitated.

"Come on, you can explain to me what that was when we get home." I gently linked my arm with hers and we headed for the bus stop again.

"I would be more than happy to tell you everything, but it might be in your best interest to stay in the dark on some certain topics." Kanaya said softly. "Like I said before, not all of my coworkers are as forgiving as I."

"I guess so. I'm still flattered that you've trusted me enough to tell me as much as you have already. Unless you do that with everyone," I remarked.

"Not exactly. I am quite fond of you, Rose Lalonde." She smiled and I felt her arm tighten around mine. Was that flirting? I was seriously wondering if it was. I had never really shown interest in girls, but hey if I was going to date a demon might as well go and make it a girl. But what was I thinking, she was probably saying I was just a more cooperative human than the others she signed with. I felt silly after that and I focused on where we were going instead of dwelling on the subject. We had missed the bus, but I think Kanaya and I had both subconsciously agreed to walk because we didn't even pause when we reached the stop. We just kept walking.

My apartment wasn't exactly… close… but I was certain we'd get there faster than if we waited for the bus. And so we walked. The first few blocks were silent. But it was a nice silence, and it felt like we were just enjoying each other's company.

And then out of the blue we were assaulted by lawn sprinklers when we walked passed a certain house. The water was freezing, and I instinctively let out a scream and then a laugh, then hid behind Kanaya. I used her as a shield until we were safe then felt the need to apologize. But she was laughing, and explained that it was fun. However we were absolutely _soaked._ So we kicked off our shoes and continued on down the sidewalk.


	6. Chapter 5

_Okay so the ending of this one was really rushed. But this is my favorite chapter so far uwu Finally adding some rosemary into there_

* * *

"Mom I'm home," I greeted as I set my shoes in their spot by the door. Kanaya and I had almost completely air dried on our walk, except for a few strands of wet hair clinging to our cheeks and patches of water on our clothes. Actually, the air conditioning in the apartment turned those patches to ice and I shivered. Kanaya didn't seem to be affected though.

"Alright, there's some pizza in the fridge." Mom called from her room. Then I noticed the smell of alcohol in the air. I turned to Kanaya with a confused expression and she politely explained that she could only pacify someone's desires, not extinguish them. My mom would still drink but not as much as she used to. Somehow I felt relieved by this. It was hard to imagine my mom turning down every drink she was offered when she went out with her friends or something. Some part of me thought that would be unfair.

"Thanks." I called in response. Then I gently took Kanaya's hand and led her back to my room. She had spent the night there with me. And honestly, I was enjoying all of it more than I thought I would. I had always been an only child, so to have someone who wasn't always drunk around to talk to was neat. We had stayed up late, sharing the same bed and staring off into the darkness while talking about nothing in particular. And Kanaya hadn't turned me into some human slave and taken me back to hell with her or whatever. I admit, I was suspicious, but really things were looking up and I found it hard to dwell on anything negative for to long. The good things seemed to overwhelm any suspicions I had about what could go bad. And that was nice. So I smiled as I held the door open for her. She nodded politely and sat at the edge of my bed with her legs crossed.

"Hold on." I put one finger to my lips and went over to my closet, throwing the door open and getting on my knees to rummage through the mess. I could feel Kanaya watching me, and I imagined her lifting one delicate eyebrow as she waited. It just seemed like something she'd do. "Ah, here it is." I picked up a small box, working to untangle a doll's hair from the lid. Then I made a face as I threw the raggedy old barbie back into the closet and shut the door with a shudder. I honestly didn't remember owning half of the stuff in there. I turned back to Kanaya who was doing the eyebrow thing, like I had suspected. I went over and opened the box, revealing neat rows of almost entirely unused nail polish in order of their color, with only red pink and purple mixed and matched from where I had used when I was younger. "I thought we could the thing. That thing girls do at sleepovers." I smiled at her, and she returned it with an almost half hearted smile of her own. "What's wrong?" I asked, suddenly feeling pretty embarrassed. Maybe I'd gotten ahead of myself.

"Nothing, I absolutely love the idea. I have never been able to do this myself." For the first time, I noticed a childish gleam in her green eyes. She didn't look like a human anymore. Her skin was grey, her eyes an unnatural jade green, and on top of her head sat an elegant set of horns. But she looked about as threatening as a child, as she pulled her knees up to her chest and looked shyly up at me. It had to have been one of the most adorable things I had ever seen.

"Alright." I climbed into the bed next to her, and she shifted to face me. "Pick a color, any color." I held out her choices. She took a moment, hovering over the greens. Then she reached and picked out sparkly purple. It had been thoroughly used. My favorite color as a child, and my favorite color then too. "Nice." I grinned. She nodded, seeming happy too. I inspected her nails with one hand and shook the polish with the other. She kept good care of them, but that wasn't surprising. Kanaya took care of herself.

"Thank you."

I looked up at her. "For what?" I asked, tilting my head.

"For everything. Not being afraid of me. Accepting me, even though this whole ordeal must have been terribly confusing and awful sounding in the beginning. I just want you to know… your kindness has not been lost on me. I think about it a lot." She lowered her voice and looked down at her fingers, which I had begun to paint. I was quiet for a second. Really, I was trying to think of something to respond to that with. If anything I should have been the one thanking her. Maybe she didn't realize all that she'd done for me?

"It's nothing. Really it's all I could do. I am grateful that you came around. Even if you demons have been known to… kill… for some reason I trust you. You. I'm not sure I could say the same about someone like Vriska or Sollux." I didn't look up from her hand, and she didn't either.

"I trust you too. That is why I will explain that this is getting me into quite a bit of trouble." I paused at that, but then continued.

"Oh? How so?"

"Signing a contract usually ends in death. Most demons will allow their human servants to live in their new and improved lives for a while, letting them believe that all problems are solved. But agents of the devil have never really been known to keep their word have they? They take them. They bring their servants back to their castles and manners in their own little sections of hell where they work them until they drop. Of course over centuries the rules have become more lenient and demons use their servants for more practical things. Things that still end in death. Usually. It all depends on the demon and their ranks. But I won't get into that. Oh dear, I am already rambling aren't I? It is hard for me tell short stories I apologize. But you see, I am very very fond of you Rose Lalonde. I could never treat you like my servants in the past. You are interesting. Intriguing. Unlike any human I have met before, actually. I enjoy your company. And I have known you longer than you think. It was strange really. I do not what was wrong with me, I felt so odd and I was unwilling to face you for a long long time after I became aware of you. And my superiors are noticing." Her voice was oddly soothing, considering the information she was spouting. I somehow managed to find it the slightest bit endearing. And needless to say I was flattered that she had such a high opinion of me. But that all faded when I started to worry… about John. I suddenly felt a little sick.

"I'm not sure what to say to that honestly. And I don't think I want to. Giving false advice wouldn't be good for anyone." I finished the nail on her thumb and gently set her hand down and took the other, immediately starting on the pinkie finger.

"I guess that is true. I just wanted you to be aware." Kanaya lifted her hand and inspected it, allowing herself to smile yet again.

"So what was Vriska's problem, if you don't mind my asking. She said she was going to… report you? To your superiors I'm guessing?"

"Well Vriska is one of my superiors. She is high enough in our ranks that she gets a small piece of town, a neighborhood or a street, assigned to her and only her, but she can pick who she wants out of other areas too. I… was trespassing today." Kanaya explained. "Demons, even those sharing squads, are not allowed to enter those zones without permission. Vriska likes her privacy."

"So do you do… anything, other than trick humans into contracts?" I asked. "Or is that just your whole deal."

"Well I have never known much else. From the moment I was able to understand the concept I was out collecting contracts. It is what is expected of us. Although I do not really know why. Maybe it has just always been this way and if we do not do this then we lose all purpose." Kanaya slumped a little.

"That's deep." I laughed a little. "I'm sure you could find something to live for Kanaya. You like fashion right? You could even start your own company," I joked.

"You think so?" She shifted and fixed her posture. "I… I do love fashion. I have never considered actually doing anything with it though. D-Do you think I could?" Kanaya looked directly at me as I gave her back her hand. And I looked right back.

"Of course! You could call it Maryam's Design." She beamed at that. "You could get a shop downtown with a big fancy sign and everything. People would come from far and wide just to see your stuff." That almost made her giddy with excitement. It made me laugh.

"Really? Oh that would be so wonderful!" She clasped her hands together, careful of the drying the polish. "Maryam's Design." Kanaya let out a quiet breath. "I would make and sell dresses of course. Dresses and skirts and… and… oh, everything!" She exclaimed. I had never seen anyone seem so _excited _about something before. Some part of me felt a little bad that she had never had the opportunity to do something like, and that she probably never would. But I said nothing. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin the moment for her. She was just so damn _happy_. It made my heart swell.

"My turn." I picked a jade green from the box. This one must have been used… maybe once by Jade when she came to visit years ago. Of course she wanted the nail polish that matched her name. But I paused before giving it to Kanaya. "Kanaya… what will happen to John? My friend, the one who was with Vriska. Is he… in danger somehow?" I hated to say it, but I really needed to know.

Kanaya's smile faded. "I honestly do not know." She lowered her voice. "I could ask, but I would be unable to guarantee anything right away." She took the nail polish and gently grabbed my hand.

"I would greatly appreciate it. I'm… a little bit worried about him." I replied in all honesty. John was smart but I had a feeling he was in deep trouble.

—

We sat side by side, hands out in front of us as we inspected our work. Kanaya's polish was a little bit sloppy, and she seemed embarrassed by it, but I assured her that I loved it. I got up to put the nail polish box back in my closet, and when I turned back around Kanaya had curled up in the bed. She looked exhausted.

"Are you tired?" I asked. She nodded and pulled the covers up over her legs without bothering to change. "Alright." I smiled and turned out the light, crawling into bed next to her. We were back to back for a while, just listening to each other's breathing. It was really peaceful actually. But then I felt Kanaya shift, turning towards me. She gently tapped my shoulder and I rolled over to face her.

"I am truly sorry about your friend Rose. I will do everything I can to make sure he will be safe." She murmured.

"Thank you, Kanaya." I leaned forward and gently kissed her lips, noting with amusement her surprise. Then I rolled back over and closed my eyes. It took a while but I felt her do the same thing. And we laid there, just listening to nothing in particular for a long time.

"Do you… do you want to see where I live sometime?" Kanaya asked in a whisper. She hadn't even moved, and her voice startled me. I had not even realized that I was beginning to falling asleep.

"Your house? Isn't that in—"

"Hell. Or the equivalent. Sorry for interrupting but yes. Y-You don't have to go if you do not want to though. I just thought you might be interested." She moved and shifted as she spoke. I laughed and nodded, although I knew she wasn't looking.

"I might be interested." I said sleepily. "Good night, Kanaya."

"Good night Rose."


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Alright, so just as a warning this chapter has 0 work put into it. And it is getting sort of directionless because I was to lazy to plan out the chapters. On top of that, the only people that I can tell that are enjoying it is one of my friends and one or two reviewers. I don't really like the story anymore and I am considering just stopping it altogether.

* * *

"Kanaya, this is a really bad idea. The higher ups have already got their panties in a twist about all this and if you bring her with you then you're just asking for an ass kicking." The new figure adjusted her glasses and sipped her watermelon slushy through a straw.

The two ladies and I were sitting together at the snack bar in a small arcade. The loud noises and high pitched game music hid our conversation well, although I wasn't sure why we couldn't have just gone to the park. The other girl seemed to enjoy all of the lights, sounds, and activity though. Kanaya had explained that she had odd senses and this kind of place was must have been electric for her.

"I know, I know. But I fear I cannot help it. I either destroy the contract, or I continue as I have been doing. She is important to me, Terezi." Kanaya picked at her nails. She didn't seem like someone who would suffer from anxiety but she looked plenty anxious then. I wondered if she would be upset when she realized she had just ripped off the most of the nail polish that I had applied only a few nights before.

"Then why don't you just destroy the contract then?" I cut in. They both looked at me as if they had forgotten I was there. Which they probably had. I hadn't even said a word since we arrived.

"I would have to find it first. Thousands of contracts are hidden in vaults until they are collected and sent to our empress." Kanaya explained.

Someone cleared their throat behind them, and they all turned.

"Hi Rose and Rose's friend." Dave! "What are you doing here? This is an odd place for you to show up at." He pushed his shades up on his nose. What a dweeb.

"Heyyy what's cookin good lookin?" Terezi grinned. I had a lot of questions about this comment since she is, after all, blind.

"Oh hi glasses girl. You with these two?" Dave asked. Terezi shrugged.

"Maybe."

I took time to inspect her more closely. She wore her disguise well. Redish-brown hair with pointy glasses to cover a pair of glazed eyes and an explosion of freckles over her face and exposed shoulders. Dave would probably try to make a move on her, she was quite attractive.

"Nice. Mind if I sit?" He motioned to an empty seat next to me.

"Yes, actually. We were having a very in depth and private conversation before you showed up. Now go… be a nerd elsewhere." I tried to shoo him away but he only raised an eyebrow. "Begone." I tried again.

"Wow Rose. I'm feeling… oppressed." Dave put one hand over his heart. "I think I'm gonna go home and weep into my pillow now. Maybe vent my feelings to the entire internet." I rolled my eyes and Terezi cackled. This guy.

"Shut up dweeb. Come sit by me." Terezi patted the spot next to her and Dave hopped up on the seat. They all subconsciously agreed to change the subject then.

"So you guys are demons or something?" Dave stole a sip of Terezi's slushy. All eyes were on him.

"Who told you?" Kanaya hissed under her breath.

"John. He said his demon was trying to get cozy with him or something and he's sort of freaked out." He took another long sip out of her drink before passing it back. She just shrugged and didn't even wipe off the straw before starting to drink it again. Ew, Terezi, ew. You have no idea where he's been don't do that. "And I was honestly not even surprised that y'all are demons. Especially Vriska, she's a creepy motherfucker."

"Wait, he told you?" Kanaya glanced at me, then back at Dave. "He isn't supposed to do that."

"He said he got permission to tell me. I don't know. But I think I'm the only one he told." Dave explained.

"Vriska gave him permission to tell? That seems unlikely." Kanaya tapped her fingers on the table. "And you said she was trying to… 'get cozy'… with him? What do you mean by that exactly?" She questioned. Her tone of voice was difficult to pinpoint exactly. She sounded urgent… maybe a little hopeful actually. I was curious as to what she was thinking.

"He said she's getting sort of obsessive over him. She lets him do what he wants and stuff but she's also been really protective. Treating him like a little kiddo. But he says they also have a lot of fun too. I'm pretty sure they've teamed up to prank his dad way to often because he's actually stopped by my house to ask bro for help to get them back, which is really weird because he's like the pranking master. And the master needs no allies. But he only mentioned John though so I don't think he's realized miss demon lady is staying there too." Dave talked with his hands, so throughout the whole spiel he was waving them around. "By the way are all demons girls? Because I feel like there should be demon boys."

"Dave, you're rambling." Terezi pointed out. It was also kind of strange and maybe cliche that she knew his name, because I did not remember mentioning it once while she was there.

"Sorry." He wasn't sorry.

"Isn't Dave in some sort of danger now that he's been told? I thought it was against the rules! That was what Sollux was doing that one night, right? Tying up loose ends? Killing his charge? John could be in danger too." I cut in. This was all very distressing.

"Unless Dave signs a contract as well, his safety is not guaranteed." Kanaya's voice was slow.

"I'll sign. But I don't want to change anything." Dave said.

"Nothing? You wouldn't want a real house, or for your bro to get a real job?" Terezi asked. I imagine it wasn't the first time someone signed and requested nothing, as you would most likely be killed for refusing the contract anyway, but she seemed surprised. "Why not?"

"Well I like where I am, and how I am. If bro wants to get a real job then kudos to him. If he wants to get a real house, coolio. But I don't feel like it's my place to change any of that especially without talking to him about it first and surely that would get both of us in deep do do if I'm understanding you guys correctly." What Dave was saying made me respect him a little more, and I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if I had thought of the same thing when Kanaya showed up with my contract.

"Alright. Come with me." Terezi took his hand and dragged him out of his chair and across the arcade to the girl's bathroom. They got some weird looks but I don't think either of them cared very much. It also gave me some free time to talk with Kanaya, without interruption.

"Kanaya. I want to go on a date." I stated. That seemed to capture her interest so I continued. "Just a normal date. No talk of demons or contracts or anything. A day just for us."

"I would really like that," Kanaya replied with a smile. "Where should we go?"

"Why do we have to go anywhere? I can fix up my room, make it all romantic." I wiggled my eyebrows at her, as a joke, and she laughed.

Terezi and Dave were already headed back though, Dave looking thoroughly traumatized. I didn't blame him.

"Alright, the contract is signed. David here is safe." She patted his shoulder. "Now what do you say we play some games?"


End file.
